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Shattered Star #45: Onwards & Upwards

At the end of last session, we left the party resting with the Grey Maidens after their recent heroic endevours.

After a good night’s rest, the party discussed what to do next. Eventually, it was decided to return to Ountsy there to secure the magical healing Zainnis, Karelia and Grooble needed. When the Grey Maidens discovered this was the party’s plan they begged to accompany the heroes as there was nothing left for them under the Lady’s Light.

The party agreed and eventually everyone was transported back across the lake, out of the dungeons and onto the Mermaid’s Mistress. From there returning to Ountsy was simple.

Ountsy was the largest city the party had ever visited and thus all their heart’s desires were available to them. In particularly Peta spent some time securing holy books and symbols to aid him in converting the Grey Maidens to the worship of Heironeous. This was something he seemed to enjoy a small amount of success in as particularly Helandra seemed interested in his message.

Within a week, the party had completed their business in the city and was on their way back to the Lady’s Light. Re-entering the dungeons was simplicity itself and soon the heroes were exploring the hidden chambers off the Grey Maiden’s bath chamber. First they searched the room containing the glowing globe destroyed by Thaladan. Sadly, nothing here remained but shattered glass and they quickly pushed on returning to the hidden altar chamber.

Investigations summoned the chamber’s guardians—three horrific hounds comprised of smoke and shadow. Although formidable, the guardians were no match for the group’s paladins and were quickly slain. Taking several treasures from the altar the party backtracked and returned to the teleportation chamber. A brief exploration of the only other door leading away from this chamber almost led to Peta tumbling into a pit full of green slime, but luck was with the doughty paladin and he didn’t fall in!

With the last known area before the teleporter now searched the party had no option but to return to the large hall in which they had fought so hard against the Sorshen-pretender. For there lay another secret door—and beyond surely the shard they sought lay!

Beyond the secret door lay an ancient torture chamber, several cells and a barracks of sorts. The party also discovered a spiral staircase leading upwards. With no other obvious ways forward they climbed the stair which spiralled upwards for several hundred feet.

Eventually, the staircase gave out into an ornate chamber. Eight niches studded the walls and seven of them held statues—identified swiftly as the seven Rune Lords of ancient legend. Carvings in Abyssal hinted that the party needed to embrace certain of the statues to progress further—probably by means of some form of magical teleportation.

Experimentation ensued. It seemed that hugging Sorshen’s statue generated some form of magical effect in the empty niche, but it didn’t really do anything. The party theorised they had to hug another statue to fully activate the niche’s magic. However, their experiment swiftly generated an unwelcome result. In swift succession, the party hugged three of the seven statues. As the third statue was hugged, a tremendously loud cacophony filled the air. The sound was so loud, Karelia was deafened and, as it faded away, something beyond the heroes’ worst nightmares appeared in the empty niche…

Creighton is the publisher at Raging Swan Press and the designer of the award winning adventure Madness at Gardmore Abbey. He has designed many critically acclaimed modules such as Retribution and Shadowed Keep on the Borderlands and worked with Wizards of the Coast, Paizo, Expeditious Retreat Press, Rite Publishing and Kobold Press.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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